Olivia cashes in on craze

Press, 28 August 1980, Page 14

Olivia cashes in on craze

Someone else who seems to be cashing in on the disco craze on film is the lovely Olivia NewtonJohn in “Xanadu” (Savoy). A thorough professional, who has remained down to earth despite her incredible success, Olivia' has become one of the entertainment ' world’s superstars. The internationally-ac-claimed singer-actress is starring in her second American film, “Xanadu,” an original musical fantasy which also stars Gene Kelly and Michael Beck; Jeff Lynne, of Electric Light Orchestra, and John Farrar, who has produced Olivia’s albums for the past nine years and written some other biggest hits, each wrote five songs for the film.

Born in Cambridge, England, and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Olivia first became interested in singing and dancing early in school. With three other girlfriends, she formed the group, The Sol Four, but had to disband the group when it began to interfere with school work.

However, Olivia was firmly set in her desires to be a performer, and although she came from a highly academic family her grandfather was Nobel prize-winner, German ■physicist Max Born, and her father was headmaster of Ormond College, Melbourne), she decided to pursue her music career full-time rather than go . to college. Winning her first talent contest at 15, Olivia was awarded a trip to England. For the next two years she stayed, there, performing as part of a duo with another Australian

girl, Pat Carroll, appearing in cabarets and on numerous shows on 8.8. C. television. / ../ Then when Pat’s visa expired and she had to return to Australia, Olivia stayed on in England alone. •

Olivia’s first single (Bob Dylan’s. tune, “If Not For You”) recorded in England was very successful, making her the centre of international attention.

Her next single, “Banks of the Ohio,” won her. an

English Silver Disc and an Australian Gold Disc at the same time as she was charming audiences throughout Europe while touring with the Cliff Richard Show. She then became a regular guest on the 8.8. C. Television series, “It’s Cliff Richard,” and continued to reap music awards. In 1971 and 1972, she was voted as' the Best British Girl Singer by the readers of the pop weekly newspaper, Record Mirror.